6 Upcoming Netflix Shows You Cannot Miss

Netflix’s yearly lineup reveal has basically become an event of its own at this point. Every year, millions of viewers hold their breath as the streamer reveals what it has in store. More often than not, there’s something for everyone in there. Netflix is practically known for its diverse range of programming that includes prestige dramas, comedies, adaptations, and so much more.

Some of these are predictable renewals or continuations of beloved stories, but many come as pleasant surprises that offer something completely new. Now, 2026 has been no different. Just four months into the year, and Netflix has already dropped some pretty heavy hitters, but let’s just say that the fun is just getting started, because here are upcoming Netflix shows that just can’t be missed.

6

‘Stranger Things: Tales From ’85’

April 23, 2026

Image via Netflix

Stranger Things might have come to an end, but fans don’t have to say goodbye to Hawkins just yet. Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85 is the next chapter in the Duffer Brothers’ ambitious universe. The animated spin-off is set between Stranger Things Seasons 2 and 3, right when things were almost normal. The series brings back the core gang, now as cartoons, as they dive into yet another supernatural mystery and deal with new monsters from the Upside Down. However, unlike the main show, this version of the story leans into a more vibrant, slightly lighter energy while still staying true to the source material.

Of course, animation opens up the Stranger Things universe to a host of storytelling possibilities that the live-action series might not have been able to explore. The gang is also joined by a new character, Nikki Baxter (Odessa A’zion), who adds a fresh spin to the familiar dynamic. Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85 revolves around a central mystery that seems to be connected to both the Upside Down and the strange experiments tied to Hawkins Lab. The animated series isn’t just revisiting Hawkins for nostalgia’s sake. Instead, it is actively expanding it and adding new layers to the existing story, and that’s what makes its April 23 premiere all the more exciting.

5

‘The Body’

Fall 2026

Image via 20th Century Studios

The Body already sounds like the perfectly chaotic coming-of-age psychodrama with dark undertones. The show, created by Quinn Shephard, begins with a Catholic school dance-team initiation that goes horribly wrong and triggers a wave of prophetic visions among a group of teenage girls. This quickly spirals into full-blown mass hysteria. The upcoming series promises to tackle themes of teenage identity, religion, and power as these girls navigate guilt, fear, and the pressures of growing up.

The Body draws inspiration from films including Carrie and Jennifer’s Body, and is meant to be campy in its tone to reflect its messy and unhinged narrative. The series also boasts a strong ensemble cast, including Kristina Bogic, Sara Boustany, Geena Meszaros, and Sofia Wylie. The Body will feature eight episodes that will feature a mix of young and adult perspectives. An exact release date has not been announced, but the psychodrama is expected to be a part of Netflix’s fall 2026 lineup.

4

‘Little House on the Prairie’

July 9, 2026

Image via NBC

Netflix is breathing new life into Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie, and the anticipation is too real. The adaptation, based on the author’s semi-autobiographical novels, blends family drama with a sweeping origin story of the American West. The series is set to follow Alice Halsey as Laura Ingalls, a curious and strong-willed young girl surrounded by the harsh realities of the 19th century. The audience sees this world through her eyes, as she navigates both the innocence and intensity of childhood. The series stars Luke Bracey, Crosby Fitzgetald, and Skywalker Hughes as the rest of the Ingalls family, along with a host of other characters, including settlers, indigenous families, and more.

Netflix’s reimagining of Little House‘s famous story retains the warmth and optimism of its 1974 predecessor but focuses on the emotional realism and survival stakes. The fact that the streamer has renewed the series for Season 2 even before its debut on July 9 has already set major expectations for Little House on the Prairie. If the show really does manage to present a more authentic take on frontier life, it has the potential to be one of Netflix’s most celebrated projects.

3

‘Man on Fire’

April 30, 2026

Image via Netflix

Man on Fire is set to be a reimagining of A.J. Quinnell’s 1980 novel of the same name. The series follows Special Forces mercenary John Creasy, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, as a man haunted by PTSD. His attempt at a fresh start is disrupted when he is pulled back into the world of danger, and teenager Poe Rayburn (Billie Boulet) becomes his responsibility. The show promises to create a tense, layered world shaped by unpredictability, organized crime, and intelligence operations that blur moral lines at times.

The action thriller is exhilarating, but it’s also character-driven and rooted in Creasy’s past. Man on Fire Season 1 features 8 fast-paced episodes and premieres on April 30. The story will obviously feel familiar to viewers who remember the 2004 film adaptation starring Denzel Washington in the lead, but this version seems far more expansive in its approach. Instead of condensing Creasy’s journey to a single revenge arc, the TV show format allows the narrative to explore his trauma and unraveling in depth, and that’s a pretty good reason to tune in.

2

‘The Boroughs’

May 21, 2026

Image via Netflix

The Duffer Brothers are back with what looks like another guaranteed hit. The Boroughs is a pretty unique sci-fi mystery set in a retirement community. The story centers on a group of elderly residents whose peaceful lives are disrupted when a grieving newcomer experiences a terrifying, otherworldly encounter. The incident is far from isolated, though, because the group quickly begins to uncover a much larger and more dangerous secret surrounding their community.

The deeper they dig, the more they realize that the threat in question is not easy to tackle. The Boroughs promises to blend heart, humor, and horror, and fill the Stranger Things-shaped hole left in many fans’ hearts. Not to mention that the cast alone, featuring veterans including Geena Davis, Bill Pullman, Alfred Molina, Clarke Peters, and more, is reason enough to tune in. The eight-episode series is set to premiere on May 21 and is already feeling like a story that uses sci-fi beats to explore something far more human underneath.

1

‘East of Eden’

TBA

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

East of Eden is shaping up to be one of Netflix’s most ambitious literary adaptations yet. The upcoming series, based on John Steinbeck’s iconic 1952 novel, will be a multi-generational family saga that follows Cathy Ames (Florence Pugh), a complex and borderline unsettling character. The limited series will span decades and trace the lives of the Trask family as their relationships unravel under the weight of jealousy and guilt. The story actually mirrors the biblical tale of Cain and Abel through the dynamic of the brothers to show how generational patterns inevitably repeat themselves over time.

What makes this adaptation particularly interesting is its decision to center Cath and present the narrative through one of literature’s most infamous antiheroes. Pugh is joined by a strong ensemble cast, including Christopher Abbott as Adam Trask, Mike Faist as Charles Trask, and Hoon Lee as Lee. All of this sets East of Eden on the path of becoming a prestige drama that reinterprets a classic for the modern generation. A release date for the limited series has not been revealed yet.